PSU Sociology Department

08/24/2026

Recruitment flyer seeking research participants for a study focused on accessibility and feelings of belonging on college/university campuses. Participant eligibility requirements listed: All types of disabilities welcome, full time or part time undergraduate or graduate students at any college or university, OR student within the past 12 months.

Contact information:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (503) 725-9262
Scan a QR code located on the bottom left of the form to access our research participant interest form.

The text of the flyer is contained within text boxes of various sizes to guide the reader toward important information. The colors, light blue, light pink, light green, and a light grey, reflect the colors of the Disability Pride flag stripes located on the middle left side of the flyer. The bottom text of the flyer indicates that this research is approved and being conducted by students at Portland State University.

06/09/2026

06/03/2026

John Bershaw (professor and outgoing Geology chair) and Iris S. De Lis (Sociology graduate student) launched The AI Commons at PSU, an informal gathering space for faculty, staff, and administrators at PSU who want to critically explore AI together as a public‑good issue, not a tech fad. We meet every two weeks and folks can learn more and get on our list here.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r_2y1xX8qmo1UzsdyiFqGdos5ciRGyUjbTNtAqokL5c/edit?tab=t.0

06/03/2026

Lindsey Wilkinson (Sociology faculty), Melissa Thompson (Sociology faculty), and Jae Collett (Sociology graduate student). Forthcoming. “Transgender and Gender Diverse Identity, Mental Health Conditions, and Mental Health Care in U.S. Prisons.” Journal of Correctional Health Care, doi: 10.1177/10783458261447499.

06/03/2026

Madi Lou has applied for the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness Summer Fellowship.

05/27/2026

Jae Collett (Sociology graduate student) successfully defended their thesis, "Intersectional Pathways to Prison and Sentence Disparities: Exploring the Role of Race, Gender Identity, and Sexuality in Women's Sentencing Outcomes" with the support of their committee chair, Melissa Thompson, and committee members Shirley A. Jackson and Emily Shafer (all Sociology faculty).

05/20/2026

Hyeyoung Woo (Sociology faculty) organized an invited talk, “The Hitchhiker's Guide to Social Network Analysis,” by Dr. Eun Kyong Shin, an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Korea University and a Visiting Scholar in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University (2025-2026) for the graduate students in the Department of Sociology at PSU.

05/20/2026

Emily Fitzgibbons Shafer (Sociology graduate student), Paula England, Madi Lou Abel (Sociology graduate student), and Tamara Ogle (Sociology graduate student). Conditionally Accepted. “Adolescent Sexual Behavior and Perceived Parental Responsibility: Patterns by Parent Gender, Child Gender, and Whether the Sexual Behavior is with a Same-Sex Partner.” In Parenting and Gender: Practices, Ideologies, and Inequalities Across Contexts, Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research. Edited by Dr. Gokhan Savas and Sampson Lee Blair. Leeds, UK: Emerald Publishing.

05/13/2026

Madi Lou Abel (Sociology graduate student) was hired for a summer internship with The Educational Innovation and Improvement (EII) team and the Foster Respectful and Equitable Education (FREE) team at OHSU!!